Saving Ronny
by yellowstar
Summary: What if Ronny's energy hadn't been saved? This is my interpretation of what could have happened after Ronny on empty.
1. Chapter 1

Saving Ronny

Disclaimer: I do not own them.

Summary: Takes place a few weeks after Ronny on empty. What if Ronny's energy hadn't been restored?

Author Note: I apologize for my writer's block on some of my other stories that are unfinished; I will try to finish them as soon as possible. I just want them to be good. Enjoy and review! I haven't seen much of this series so please excuse any mistakes.

"From now on, I only want you to attack the yellow ranger. Leave the others alone for the Lava Lizards." Moltor commanded the Fear cats. "Once she is destroyed, the others will fall quickly."

"Why the yellow ranger? Why not the red ranger?" argued Mig who had a vengeance against the red ranger he wanted to pursue.

"Because since we captured last time, her energy has been slowly draining. A few more battles and she will be useless. The other rangers will be so bent on saving her that they won't have time to stop me." Moltor grinned evilly as he waited for the next part of his plan to unfold.

"Ahh." Mig and Benglo agreed to the plan in unison, as they set to prepare for their opportunity to destroy the yellow ranger.

"Good job guys." Mack cheered on his teammates as another one of Flurious's monsters fell at the hands of the power rangers.

"Yeah," agreed Will "Way to go." The black ranger shouted excitedly as he high fived the others. The last battle had been tough but they had been able to outlast the monster sending him to its destruction with a blast from the battle fleet mega zords.

"How about a celebration?" Dax suggested as they powered down into their civilian wear.

"We certainly earned it." Rose remarked happily, surprising the others with her willingness to join the group in a social outing. The pink ranger was very friendly; it's just that she preferred her books to people most of the time, a habit Tyzonn was trying to break her of. "It's been a rough few weeks" She added truthfully, she needed the release as much as the rest of them.

"Alright!" Tyzonn exclaimed, eager to leave the memories of battles behind for much happier ones. He turned to the unusually quiet yellow ranger who was lagging behind the group. "You coming Ronny?" he asked hopefully. Since the two of them had gotten over their differences, they had become good friends.

His question caused the other rangers to turn and look at the blonde ranger. If she looked tired, they attributed it to the fight they had been engaged in. "I'm going to head back to the mansion." She excused herself. "I'll see you guys back there later." Ronny waved goodbye to her friends as she headed in the opposite direction. However, once she hit the bed though she didn't move until her alarm went off the next morning.

Ronny woke up just as exhausted as she had gone to bed. She was starting to wonder if going to sleep was worth it because she did not feel any better the next morning. Determined she set out to keep her daily routine despite the fatigue. She tied her running shoes and headed past the kitchen where Tyzonn was eating breakfast, hoping her run would rejuvenate her.

The blond ranger looked up just as she walked by. "You feeling better?" Tyzonn questioned Ronny as she passed by on her way outside for her morning jog. She nodded quickly to avoid his kindness. The mercury ranger always seemed to know when something wasn't right, and she didn't want to answer more questions, especially when she didn't have any answers to give.

While all the rangers were active, running was an activity that only Ronny enjoyed. She said it gave her time to think. And she had a lot on her mind recently. It was only a few days before that she had turned down the opportunity to go out with her friends because she was tired. Normally being tired wouldn't stop her from having fun, but this tired was different. It was an all encompassing exhaustion, she hadn't told the others that even after training exercises she would be completely wiped out. She was too proud to admit that the all-American athlete turned race car driver who also liked to compete in triathlons was tired. They probably wouldn't believe her even if she did tell them. Besides she was hoping for a few days off from attacks to make her feel better.

She took a few minutes to stretch her weary muscles and body, cranking up her iPod expecting the music would pump her up. She was one mile into her run when the cramps hit and she grabbed her stomach painfully. "Push through it Ronny." She coached herself as she forced herself to breathe and kept going ignoring the pain in her sides.

She started to worry when the trees started to sway as her vision blurred. She slowed down to cover her eyes waiting for the dizziness to pass. Her body refused to cooperate as darkness swept in and her limp body collapsed to the ground motionless.

A loud beeping from the medical center alerted Spencer right away that something was amiss. He stopped his inventory of medical supplies to check the Vital Signs data board that tracked the ranger's life forces. Everything looked fine until he saw the yellow line was flat and unmoving. "Find Ronny." He commanded the computer urgently as a vision of the yellow ranger unconscious on the forest floor filled the screen. He pulled the emergency alarm to bring the rangers to him quickly.

"What is it Spencer?" Dax demanded, hating to be interrupted from breakfast as they gathered around.

"Not what, who." The butler corrected him as he brought the image of Ronny to the middle screen of the command center. "Ronny needs your help." He directed them immediately to the forest.

She was coming to when the other rangers arrived on the scene. She accepted Will's hand up, even allowing his support to lean against. "What happened?" Mack queried, looking around for any sign of Moltor or Flurious.

"I've just passed out, that's all." Ronny explained embarrassed. "You're lucky you weren't hurt when you fell." Tyzonn commented as he checked her carefully for any obvious sign of injury.

"You know better." Will chided her seriously as he helped his teammate back to the Hartford mansion. She intended to sneak away back to her room to avoid Mr. H and the questions he would ask, but he was waiting for them when they arrived.

"Ronny, are you okay?" he asked, concerned for the teenager. He was the one responsible for all the ranger's well being.

"I'll be fine, Mr. H." Ronny tried to reassure him. "I didn't sleep well last night." She admitted easily without giving a reason why. She had been having nightmares every night since she had been captured of Moltor draining her powers. No matter how Mr. H had reassured her that Will had destroyed the machine that had taken her powers, she still had her doubts.

Ronny was more shaken than she cared to admit. And she knew she should tell Mr. Hartford what was happening, but it was so surreal. She didn't want to believe it. Without warning, her powers were slowing fading. She had been fearful of this since she had been captured by the Fear cats a few weeks ago, but truth hit her like a ton of bricks today when she went to go into her super speed mode and nothing happened. 'Give it a few more days.' Her stubborn mind persuaded her as she tried to give her exhausted body a rest. But thoughts of what would happen to her if she could no longer be a ranger haunted her. Would she go back to race car driving? Would that even be possible considering her condition? She was 18 years old and the possibility of life ending before it had even begun terrified her.

"Get some rest." He directed the yellow ranger. Ronny quickly agreed and left before both Will and Mack could argue.

"Is there something you're not telling me?" Mr. Hartford demanded seeing the uneasiness settle among the other rangers as soon as the yellow ranger was out of sight.

"Well…" Dax began hesitantly, "Don't you think it's weird how tired she's been lately? I mean last night she went to bed at 4 in the afternoon and didn't wake up until this morning." He informed their leader sheepishly.

"Is this true?" Mr. Hartford questioned his team seriously. They all nodded their heads yes. "Should I be concerned?" this time he asked Mack for his opinion. He knew his team, if there were reason for concern his son would tell him.

"It's been a rough few weeks for all of us. I'll tell Ronny to take it easy, to save her energy for battle." Mack decided, coming to Ronny's defense. Mr. Hartford accepted Mack's decision and headed back to his computer to run scans in finding the other jewels of the Aurora Corona.

She was surprised at their concern, not that they weren't friends, but she knew she wasn't the easiest person to get along with. She was used to people leaving her and it was hard for her to break the habit of pushing people away to avoid the inevitable hurt that would come with getting too close to someone. Being a race car driver didn't afford her many opportunities to make friends. She was the only female race car driver and the guys on the tour either tried to get in her pants or were unusually harsh towards her because she was a girl in the "boys club". Yet when Mr. Hartford offered her the yellow overdrive tracker she didn't even hesitate and even made some great friends on the ranger team.

Despite their differences, Rose had become a close confidant, someone Ronny knew she could rely on, once she got over her trust issues that is. The black ranger was someone she could be herself around, never having to pretend. Ronny felt bad that for as close as she was to Will, he still didn't know her deepest secrets. Sighing she thought of Tyzonn and how badly she had judged him. He had been willing to forgive her and was one of the most compassionate people Ronny had ever met. Dax, how could she explain Dax? He was crazy, impulsive and loyal. He never let one of his teammates go into battle alone. Finally she felt a little sad as she thought about Mr. Hartford. He was always looking out for her, like he knew more about her than she thought. It wasn't in anything he said exactly, more like how he looked at her when she would seem to be miles away. It must be a trait he passed onto Mack, because the red ranger always knew when she needed space, someone to walk beside her, or just a chance to release some energy in competition.

'I'm going to have to find a way to hide this tiredness from the rest of the team, especially Will and Mack.' Ronny decided, worried about her lack of energy. She had never once before collapsed while running. She had been completely run down the last few weeks from the intense battles they had faced. The usual soreness and fatigue that accompanied each battle seemed magnified, and harder to recover from than usual. She was relieved when she arrived back at her room and fell onto her bed willingly. She didn't even move until a few hours later when Rose came in bringing in some lunch and inviting her to join the others in the recreation room.

"Anyone want to play foosball?" Mack queried his teammates. Rose was reading a book, and Dax and Will were engaged in a video game. "Ronny?" He asked the yellow ranger, the only one not involved in another activity. The usually active and competitive girl stood frozen in front of the Bay window overlooking the front yard of the Hartford mansion. She had strangely quiet all day. When she didn't answer, the red ranger went to see what was wrong. Ronny never turned down a chance to kick his butt in foosball, which she often did. Not to mention the incident from this morning when she had passed out on her morning run. She had managed to convince them she was fine, but he was starting to wonder.

"What's going on?" Mack asked quietly, trying not to draw attention to his conversation with Ronny. Luckily, Will and Dax were making so much noise no one would notice anyway.

"Something's not right." She admitted softly. "I don't know what it is though…" She murmured as she kept her back to the red ranger. Now Mack was concerned, it wasn't like Ronny to be worried about things. She was usually carefree and dealt with things head on. She wasn't one to back down from a confrontation. More often than not, she was the first one into the fight.

"Do you think it's Moltor or Flurious?" he questioned seriously, placing a hand on her shoulder. Ronny grimaced at his train of thought. She had actually been thinking about herself, about how she had been feeling the last few weeks, but she let Mack believe she had talking about their enemies. If the others found out she wasn't feeling quite like herself, they would tell Mr. H, and then he would make her go for some tests for sure. It wasn't anything she couldn't handle yet, just a little fatigue and headaches.

"Rangers, there is a monster destroying downtown. You must go at once." Mr. H reported over the intercom to the game room where the rangers had been relaxing.

"We're on it." Mack declared as he led the team down the poles and into the command center.

"Ronny, maybe you should stay here…" Will attempted to persuade the stubborn yellow ranger from joining the fight. He had not forgotten what she had looked like that morning, sort of how she looked when he had rescued her from Moltor's hideout.

"Yeah right." She retorted quickly, shaking off his suggestion. "Let's go." She directed the team as they sped off to fight yet another battle.

"Not you guys again." Ronny sighed as she sighted the Fear cats. "You're not tired of losing yet?" She taunted them as she braced herself for their attack. Meanwhile, the other rangers were busy battling against Moltor's lava lizards.

"You're the one who should be afraid yellow ranger." One fear cat replied grimly as they circled around her, slowly moving her away from her teammates.

"I don't think so." Ronny replied as she went into Overdrive mode. "Overdrive-Accelerate!" She shouted not a minute too soon as a blow from the fear cat's swords blasted her across her chest. The strength of the hit caused her to fly backwards and land awkwardly on the ground. Resolute, she pushed herself back up and charged the Fear cats, using her drive claws to inflict some damage. She managed to get a few hits in, but the longer she was engaged in the battle, the more exhausted she became, slowing down just enough for the Fear cats to get in some dangerous blows.

"Let's Ranger up!" Mack shouted to his teammates. Three heads nodded in agreement. "Overdrive Accelerate!" Four voices shouted in unison as they transformed. The Lava Lizards were succeeding in their plan to keep the rangers occupied while the fear cats battled the yellow ranger.

Mack and Dax were fighting 10 lizards while Will and Rose battled another 10. They were so preoccupied with the Lava Lizards that they were oblivious to the trouble Ronny was in.

"Is it just me, or are there more lizards today than usual?" Dax called out to Mack as he tossed one over his shoulder.

"One or twenty it doesn't matter." Mack responded a little out of breath. "They will be destroyed." He vowed as he sent three lizards flying.

"I can't breathe." Ronny panicked as she tried desperately to get some air to her lungs. A sharp pain in her head brought Ronny to her knees as she cradled her head in her hands. The pain was excruciating but she hoped it would pass before any of the others saw her. Stubborn as she was she tried to ignore the pain and stand up. Nausea overwhelmed her as a wave of dizziness caused her to stumble a few steps before collapsing with a loud groan. "Aaahh…" The yellow ranger cried as she hit the ground.

She was out of breath, and all alone.

She braced herself for the next hit, but the Fear cats disappeared as fast they had come. Relief filled her as she realized she was still alive, yet fear ran through her as she knew she could not ignore the pain her body was in any longer. Without warning she demorphed, and the power that had been sustaining her was gone as she slumped to the ground, unable to move.

"Guys, they're gone." Rose said relieved as the Lava Lizards disappeared right after the Fear cats.

"Great." Will responded eager to get back to his intergalactic battle with Dax in the game room. "But, where's Ronny?" He asked looking around for their yellow ranger as the blue and red rangers joined the pair.

A yellow figure crumpled on the ground caught Mack's attention. "No!" He screamed in disbelief. "Ronny!" he called her name as he raced to her side, demorphing as he went. The others demorphed as well, as they hurried to their fallen teammate. She was pale and her skin clammy as sweat poured down her face. She struggled to keep the tears out of her eyes before anyone saw them as the pain overcame her.

"Are you okay?" Rose questioned with concern, kneeling down next to the other female ranger. Ronny tried to save face and stand up to prove she was just fine, when she fell over. Luckily, Mack was quick to grab her before she could hit the ground again, wrapping his arms around her waist and gently catching her weight.

"She's not okay." He stated troubled as he was the first to realize she may be in danger. He gathered the weak girl in his arms protectively and immediately headed back to the mansion. He was concerned at the lack of fight Ronny put up, and how lifeless she seemed in his arms. He tried to keep the worry from covering his face but it shocked him to no end. The others followed their leader solemnly, noting that his silence meant that Ronny may be more injured than they thought.


	2. Guilt

Chapter 2: Guilt

The last few weeks had been hard on her. Between Moltor and Flurious, battles were not hard to come by. Not to mention the random attacks of the Fear cats. Sometimes there was little time to recover. Will would not forget the look on her face when he found her attached to the draining device in the Fear cats hideout. It had scared him more than he wanted to admit as he raced furiously to disconnect the machine. He had rescued her just in time before her entire energy had been drained, but now he wondered if he hadn't been too late to save her from irreparable damage. He would not be able to forgive himself if she never returned to her full form. "If only I had gotten there sooner…" He muttered with regret as he held his head in his hands.

Meanwhile, down the hall the red ranger was pacing anxiously fighting his own guilt. "What did I think she meant when she said 'Something's not right.' "Mack chided himself as he replayed the earlier conversation with Ronny in his head. 'I should have put the pieces together, she actually trusted me to admit that.' The red ranger paced back and forth in the hallway outside the medical center waiting for the test results to come back. "I should have checked up on her." He mumbled to himself.

"You can't blame yourself." Rose tried to convince him as she returned from getting coffee for herself, Mr. Hartford, Dax, and Mack as they all waited for Spencer to report on Ronny's condition.

"I should have known." He protested angrily, walking away from Rose's attempts to comfort him. He was the team leader; it was his job to know. Nothing could take away his guilt until he knew Ronny would be okay. She was the the driving force behind the team. The first one into a fight and usually the last one out. He might be the leader of the power rangers, but he considered her his second in command.

"How could you?" The pink ranger asked truthfully. "There's a lot we don't know about Ronny." She added softly.

"Why don't we?" Mack argued hating the fact that he didn't understand what was going on with Ronny, and wishing there was something he could do.

"I think she's been hurt a lot." Tyzonn joined in the conversation. "It's not easy for her to trust people." He continued on wisely, knowing firsthand how long it took her to trust him an accept him as part of their team.

"Rangers." Spencer interrupted gravely. At the tone of his voice the six turned quickly and silently towards the butler, holding their collective breaths hopefully. "I ran all the diagnostics on Ronny, and so far the results are inconclusive. I cannot seem to find the source of her weakness."

"Can we go see her?" Will pleaded hopefully. "Yes, but she's in and out of consciousness. Her body is not strong enough to sustain itself yet. Until we find out what is causing the weakness, we'll have to keep her sedated." Spencer regretfully explained. "Ronny must stay calm or her blood pressure will rise, any undue stress may sap the rest of her strength." He made the rangers promise to keep their visit to 5 minutes to allow Ronny time to rest, and time for him to complete other necessary tests.

The black ranger flew into the medical center as soon as Spencer finished his report, desperate to see his best friend. In the beginning the two had clicked right away, their personalities so similar. They had spent many nights talking about their adjustments to the ranger lifestyle, playing pranks on the others, and competing in whatever sport they could find or imagine. Now to see her lying so sick in the bed was more than Will could bear.

Tubes and wires attached Ronny to machines that would keep track of all her vital signs. Oxygen flowed through a tube in her nose and the heart monitor beat slowly but steady. It looked like all the life had been sucked out of her. He grabbed her hand wishing her could give her some of his strength. She had always been there when he needed her; most of his life had been spent alone. His career as a master mind thief didn't lend itself to making friends, but that all changed when they agreed to be rangers. Once again she needed his help and like always Will Aston would rise to the challenge.

"I'm fine Will." She reassured him softly as she opened her eyes. Ronny wasn't surprised that Will was there, he always was, but she saw the look in his eyes. Guilt wasn't an easy emotion to hide.

"Spencer said the test results were inconclusive." He argued. He was not relieved to see she didn't look much better than when Mack had carried her in earlier.

"You did take some hard hits today." Mack stated as he entered the room, wanting; needing to believe she was okay. Dax, Rose, and Mr. Hartford followed close behind the red ranger as they gathered around the yellow ranger's bed. Even as she struggled to get out of bed, she felt powerless to do so falling back onto the bed drowsily. "You're staying until we get some answers." The red ranger declared forcefully.

"I gave her some medicine to help her sleep. Hopefully we'll know more in the next 24 hours." Spencer stated optimistically as he studied the machines intensely.

"You think she's ok?" Tyzonn whispered curiously. "She seems different somehow." He observed anxiously.

"Now that you mention it, she has been a lot more tired lately. Ever since she was captured by the Fear cats." Will noticed somberly.

"I've never seen her so still." Dax remarked as he peered down at his teammate. "Like you should talk." Rose teased softly. Dax was the hyper crazy one of the group. His energy was well appreciated in battle but she wished he could be a little calmer in real life. "Let her rest." The pink ranger admonished the team as she pulled the blue ranger away from staring at Ronny while she slept.

"Until we know her exact condition, we can't risk Ronny going into battle." Mr. Hartford announced resolutely to the unusually quiet group of teens gathered around him.

"What are we going to do if Moltor or Flurious attacks while Ronny is sick?" Dax worried as the group met outside the medical center. "The same thing we always do." Mack reminded his teammates confidently. "We're power rangers; we will fight until we can't fight anymore."

"Why were the Fear cats only after Ronny?" Rose wondered curiously as she thought about the attack from earlier.

"They're always after Ronny." Will corrected her matter of factly. Will's statement caught Mr. H's attention. There had to be a connection between Ronny's mysterious illness and the Fear cats. As soon as the rest of the rangers left, he sought to find the answers that could help their yellow ranger.

"Why didn't the Fear cats finish her off when they had the chance?" Rose's question puzzled the group as well as the cerebral pink ranger. "I mean, why did they leave her there?"

"You're right Rose, It makes no sense." Tyzonn agreed, his suspicions aroused as they left the medical center as per Spencer's command, though they all knew they would not get a lot of sleep that night anyway.

"Sir, do you think Moltor could be behind this?" Spencer questioned his master thoughtfully.

"I wouldn't be surprised." Andrew Hartford replied nonplussed. 'And I'm not going to rest until I know one way or the other.' He promised silently to himself and the young woman fighting for her life in the next room. "In fact, I bet that was his whole plan. After she escaped the last time he knew her powers would take time to recover fully for all these battles." He surmised pensively.

"So why didn't he destroy her when he had the chance?" Spencer repeated Rose's question from earlier.

"Because he knows that she is weak and watching her die would be more painful for the rangers to endure than to simply kill her." The adventurer said pessimistically, shocking the butler with his brutal honesty. One ranger remained hidden in the stairwell desperate to overhear what his father was hiding from them. The stark realization of Ronny's condition frightened him into action.

Mack sat up in the library long after the others had gone to bed. Whether they had actually fallen asleep though, was another story. He was doing some research on energy draining other power rangers endured. Especially interesting were the articles on the original green and pink mighty morphin power rangers and how they reacted and responded to the circumstances. He was determined to find a way to save Ronny.


	3. Results

Chapter 3: Results

As soon as Will woke up the next morning, he headed down to the medical center to check on Ronny. He wasn't surprised to see Mack already there; actually it looked like he had been there all night. As leader of the rangers, he was worried about his teammate. Will realized quickly that Mack felt as guilty as he did about Ronny. He woke the red ranger up to join the rest of the team for a conference with Spencer and Mr. Hartford.

Will was hoping that Ronny's condition could be remedied quickly and painlessly. The look on Spencer's face however did nothing to assuage Will of his worry. "She is very weak and unresponsive, I'm afraid." The butler said sadly, hurting for the team that stood before him and the girl who lay behind them.

"We think Moltor is behind the intensity of the attacks, keeping Ronny in battle has weakened her considerably." Andrew Hartford revealed cautiously.

"But I thought everything was fine when I destroyed the draining device." Will contended irately, his anger toward Moltor growing ever more as he paced the room feverishly.

"Even though her energy is not being drained anymore, it is not fully recovered either." Spencer informed them tiredly.

"How can it be restored?" Rose pleaded eagerly, the only one sitting still and calm enough to reason and receive information.

"Well, "Mr. H paused uncertain how to tell them. His pause worried the rangers. "Ronny will have to be put into a drug induced coma for three months until her power restores itself to its natural balance." Reported Mr. Hartford regretfully.

"Three months?" Will cried out in disbelief. "We can't fight without her for three months." He argued in disbelief.

"Will's right." Mack agreed. "What about another power source?" He asked as he turned to his father. "I was reading last night about how the green and pink morphin rangers were able to get their powers back by using another power source to fuel their powers." The red ranger explained as he handed his father the book he had been reading. Mr. H was a little shocked at how Mack had ascertained the information about Ronny but was glad he was prepared to fight.

Dax was strangely quiet this entire time conversation flowed around him. "How do we find another power source?" he asked breaking his silence.

"In the country of Zaire, there is another power source in the diamond mines, a rare yellow diamond that is one of the most powerful jewels in the world." Andrew Hartford declared hopefully. "Using the diamond's power we can restore Ronny's energy. "

"Let's go!" Dax cried out enthusiastically, eager to escape the helplessness he felt at Ronny's condition, and wanting to find a solution to help his teammate.

"Even if the yellow diamond restores her powers completely she will always be at risk." Warned the adventurer. "It won't be easy rangers." Mr. Hartford cautioned them. "If Moltor finds out what you're up to, he will stop at nothing to keep you from the diamond."

"I'll make sure Moltor doesn't find out." A weary voice vowed fiercely as the yellow ranger limped into the hallway. Mack rushed to her and forced her into a chair, not surprised at her desire to help.

"Ronny, you can't. It's too dangerous." Rose begged her friend to reconsider.

"Rose is right. A few more battles and we may not be able to restore your energy." Mr. Hartford announced bleakly.

"Do you understand the risk you're taking?" Mack asked seriously. "You could die, Ronny." He added more gently yet realistically.

"I don't care." Ronny protested vehemently. "If you don't get the diamond, I'm as good as dead anyway." She said, ripping out the wires and tubes that monitored her condition. "Moltor won't go after you if I'm around." She stated truthfully. "He wants me." Ronny added bitterly, "he's going to wish he didn't."

"Well until he comes calling for you, you need to stay in bed and rest." Ordered Spencer though not unkindly, gallantly offering his arm to the weak girl as he escorted her back to bed.

"Dad, you can't let her do this." Mack objected strongly. "She could die before we even get the diamond." He said worried.

"I'll take care of Ronny and you take care of getting that diamond back here as fast as you can." Mr. Hartford promised Mack, hugging him before he and the others left on their mission. "Be careful."


	4. All she ever wanted

Chapter 4: All she ever wanted

Author's Note: Ronny's background

Song: Stand by Rascal Flatts

Being stuck in bed was not something Ronny did often. She hated being sick, hated the feeling of weakness. Her mind was strong, but her body was unwilling and unable to perform the tasks she needed it to do. Her friends were taking a huge risk going to Zaire for her, she'd be damned if she couldn't at least make an appearance against the Fear cats. So if she had to stay in bed until they called her out, she would do it.

_You feel like a candle in a hurricane__Just like a picture with a broken frame__Alone and helpless, like you've lost your fight__But you'll be alright, you'll be alright_

All she ever wanted was to fit in. That was one of the reasons she became a race car driver, she wanted to be like everyone else in her family. The only girl in a group of males, she adapted herself to become one of them; conversing about engines and motor oil and competing just to make herself known. She knew they loved her, why else would they have chosen her to be part of their family. But sometimes the loneliness made her wonder who she really was. Was she only the tough race car girl, or was there more to her than even she understood?

She had never allowed herself the chance to explore other options. Even if she hadn't heard Mr. H's explanation to the other rangers about her condition, she knew what they didn't know yet; her career was over. She would always be at risk of further injury and illness. It was a risk she wasn't willing to take, she would have to find another dream to chase, another passion deep inside her to pursue.

She wondered what her family would say when she told them. Could they accept her as she was now? Would they be able to accept that she changed? Worse, would they even care? She wasn't his real daughter or their real sister. These were the moments she wished she knew who she really was, moments she was desperate to find out why they gave her away, why she wasn't worth keeping. It was these secrets that drove her to perfection, drove her to keep her heart hidden. It was the kind of hurt you could never get over.

She was tired of her own thoughts and memories as she lay reluctantly in the medical center. She had tried so hard to push them away and pray that they never returned but here they were and she was forced to deal with them. The sound of the alarm was a welcome reprieve for Ronny, as she headed to the command room to meet with Spencer and Mr.H.

"When your energy levels hit 25, I'm bringing you back in immediately." Spencer ordered the yellow ranger. She nodded in agreement, hoping her powers would sustain her for another fight. "Overdrive: Accelerate!" She whispered as she was filled with power and headed to the forest to face the Fear cats once again.

_'Cause when push comes to shove__You taste what your made of__You might bend 'til you break__'Cause it's all you can take__On your knees you look up__Decide you've had enough__You get mad, you get strong__Wipe your hands, shake it off__Then you stand, then you stand_

"I must stall them." Ronny muttered to herself as she evaded the Fear cats as much as could without expending too much energy. "I hope they've almost got that diamond." She wished as she felt her energy diminishing quickly.

The two men were sitting in the medical center carefully tracking Ronny's condition. A flashing blue light alerted them to her decreasing power levels and they immediately teleported her back. Not a moment too soon as her ranger uniform disappeared and she clung to Mr. Hartford for stability before completely collapsing once again.

"She can't do it anymore Andrew." Spencer persuaded his boss. "She's very unstable. She doesn't have much longer before we have to put her in the coma." He reminded him grimly.

"I know." Andrew agreed slowly. "I hope the others get back soon." He sighed as he reattached Ronny to the wires and tubes that would save her life. As he got no argument from the yellow ranger, he knew for sure that Spencer was right.

"It's working; she must realize how weak she is." Moltor shouted gleefully from his lair as he watched the yellow ranger retreat quickly from the fear cats. "It won't be long now." He rejoiced, confident his plan was working and oblivious that the ranger's had plans of their own.

Ronny remained unmoving for the rest of the day much to Spencer and Andrew's chagrin. Instead of rising or even remaining the same, her energy levels were slowly decreasing. Andrew hadn't left her side since she returned from her battle, feeling immensely proud of this girl who had given literally everything she had as a power ranger.

He remembered the day he gave the yellow overdrive tracker to Ronny. She had won her seventh race in a row, a new record in race car driving. She was as fearless then as she was now, one of the traits that made him choose her. But still he didn't feel like he knew her, like any of them knew her. For as outgoing as she was, she was very private about her life. She was confident by nature, but there were times he could see a look in her eyes that seemed far away; memories that seemed to haunt her.

Her sudden rasping disturbed him as her lips were an unnaturally blue color. "She can't breathe." Spencer announced as he ran in from the command center. "We need to put her on a respirator now!" he commanded Andrew forcefully. The two men worked together to calm the yellow ranger down enough to force the breathing tube into her throat. With the artificial respiration, her body relaxed not having to work so hard to get air. The pair sat close to her side, waiting for any change in her condition that would give them hope.

Forty-five minutes later, the group of weary rangers entered into the medical center.

"Thank goodness." Spencer announced relieved at their appearance. Ronny needed that yellow diamond without delay as her power levels were currently stuck at 19.

The question 'How's Ronny?' died on his lips as soon as he saw her appearance. Mack was shocked at how sick she looked. The steady rasp of the respirator filling the silence in the room was a stark reminder that she was in for a long battle.

"The last battle completely exhausted her." Warned Spencer sadly even as the mood in the room was rejoicing over the found yellow diamond. "It will take some time for her to recover." The butler reminded them as Andrew took the yellow diamond and put it into a power conversion generator and attached more wires to the yellow ranger's body.

The next few days felt like eternity as the rangers took turns sitting with Ronny and monitoring her progress as well as fighting Moltor and Flurious and their henchmen. Rose would come by and read her favorite book to Ronny every morning to pass the time, conversation not being her strong suit even when Ronny was awake. Next to visit would be Will who would bring down Ronny's favorite Hip hop music to fill the silence of the room and keep his mind off the machines keeping his best friend alive. Dax would visit after lunch, filling Ronny in on all the events of the day like he always did, never leaving out one single detail. Tyzonn would meditate and send positive energy throughout the room, hoping Ronny would absorb the energy and it would heal her. Every night, Mack would spend sitting by her side, writing her a letter every day that she was asleep. He found it easier to write the words rather than say them to her.

"Where's the yellow ranger?" taunted Moltor with a laugh as the five rangers arrived on the scene he had caused.

"You can't hurt her anymore." Mack vowed angrily as he took one step closer to the enemy they had battled time and time again. He had let Ronny down before and he wasn't going to let it happen again.

"She won't recover; she'll probably die while you useless losers are defeated out here."

His words lit a spark in Mack as he was overwhelmed with his emotions, charging the foe furiously. The red ranger surprised Moltor with a series of quick devastating hits. Without the lava lizards to protect him, the other rangers joined in taking out their worry for Ronny on the evil master mind. Moltor wasn't stupid enough to stay in a battle in which he was outmatched, so he retreated, at least consoled by the fact that one ranger would be down soon enough.

"Mack, what you did out there was reckless. You're the team leader they need you to stay calm." Mr. Hartford rebuked his son firmly, yet compassionately. He understood the burden his son was under with one teammate out of commission.

"Yeah, I know dad." He replied harshly. "I'm going for a walk." He decided, walking out before his dad could continue his lecture.

"He'll be fine sir." Rose observed quietly as she watched the red ranger stalk by her as she entered the library. "He's worried like the rest of us." She said truthfully.

"She's going to pull through." Dax voiced optimistically, joining the pair after he had showered from the exertion of the battle.

Mack's walk led him to where he always ended up since Ronny had been diagnosed with terminal energy drain. The room was dark and quiet and it comforted him to know that at least she wasn't in pain. Despite the tubes and wires, Spencer had assured him that Ronny was resting comfortably. He slouched his tired body in the chair next to her bed, a position he had claimed as his own the last few days.

He needed her to wake up, she was his support system. She understood the weight he carried as the leader of the power rangers, even going as far as to share the burden with him. Ronny never let him get too down on himself when he felt like he should have done something better or different. Nor would she let him escape for too long in his world of adventure mysteries instead dragging him to join in a group activity. She and Dax were the glue of the team, he thought with a smile, both of them forcing their less gregarious teammates to step out of their comfort zones. 'Without them, we wouldn't even be a team.' Mack recognized with sudden clarity. "We need you Ronny," he murmured softly, impatient to have her with them again.

A sharp high pitched sound emanated from the machine next to him. He turned to check out her vital signs as Spencer hurried into the room. "Temperature is 103 degrees and rising." Mack reported anxiously. Even though she didn't know he was there, he held her hand as much to comfort himself as well as her.

"Her body is fighting the power of the yellow diamond." Spencer announced urgently as he raced to slow down the amount of yellow liquid that was streaming into her blood. "If it goes into her too fast, it will overwhelm her system and cause it to shut down." He explained tensely as the reliable old man recalibrated the converter.

Her eyes opened slowly as she struggled to recognize her strange surroundings. Despite all their battles and injuries, her stubbornness had kept her from ever staying too long in the medical center. It may have been the memories of a long time ago of spending day after day in the hospital praying for a miracle for her aunt that made her so reluctant to remain in such an environment. She had long ago given up on hope and in turn a part of her innocence had been lost that day.

Her brown eyes blinked furiously as panic threatened to overcome her when she tried to open her mouth to speak. "Don't" Mack warned her gently as he caught one of her flailing hands.

"Keep her calm," Spencer demanded, as he took on the task of removing the cumbersome tube from her throat. He slowly pulled it out, careful not to drag it against her vocal cords, tears ran down her face from the discomfort. "Welcome back." He greeted her with a smile. "Now, don't try to talk, it's going to hurt for awhile." He recommended strongly. Ronny nodded that she understood the seriousness of what Spencer was telling her, but his words did nothing to ease the fear that she felt. Now that she was awake, she was aware of the pain that she was in. Her body was achy and fatigued from the battles and the shock of her energy loss, her throat raw and glands swollen, and the pounding headaches made her wish she were still asleep.

Mack sensed her discomfort and sought to alleviate her pain. He gently eased her weary body into a more comfortable sitting position, rearranging the pillows to cushion her bruised body. She smiled to show her appreciation for his kindness, even if she didn't understand it. Despite their mutual admiration and friendly affection for each other, they had never expressed it with words. The red ranger entertained her with one of her favorite movies until she was allowed to have more visitors.

"Mack, what are you doing here?" She wondered curiously as soon as she cleared to speak.

"He's been here every day." Spencer declared with a grin much to Mack's embarrassment. The butler held back a laugh as a light blush came over Ronny's cheeks as well. "Here have some water, it will help soothe your throat." He said changing the subject.


	5. The past

Chapter 5: the past

"Tell me how you got the diamond." Ronny asked excitedly, wanting to hear every detail of their adventure, wishing she had been able to go along. She had been awake for only a few hours but was eager to catch up on all she had missed. "Do you know anyone named David and Amanda Robinson?" Dax asked curiously as the five rangers plus Spencer and Mr. H sat around Ronny's bed as the yellow diamond slowly poured energy back into her body via an intravenous tube in her left arm. The yellow ranger paled as the sound of two names from her past invaded her present. She didn't think about her parents much, her life was way too busy. Maybe her busyness had been her way of avoiding dealing with their rejection.

"David and Amanda were great adventurers." He began fondly. "They have traveled all over the world, even Antarctica." He explained. "Why do you ask Dax?"

"Well, we found a plaque with their names on it outside the diamond mine." The blue ranger replied. "Do you know them?" He asked again.

"We went on a trip once to Zaire, in search of the yellow diamond a long time ago. They must have gone back for it." Mr. Hartford surmised.

"If they found it, why did they leave it there?" Will questioned in confusion. "Rumor has it, that the diamond would only be found when the chosen people found it." Rose contributed her insight. "They didn't find the yellow diamond, but the other diamonds they did find helped a lot of people in the nearby villages."

"So you think we were meant to find the yellow diamond especially for Ronny?" Mack suggested curiously. She thought it ironic that the jewel that saved her life had been discovered by her own parents. Tears glistened in her eyes as she thought about the parents she had never known, and would never know.

"I wonder where they are now." Mr. Hartford wondered thoughtfully about his old friends.

"They died in a plane crash about 8 years ago." Whispered Ronny sorrowfully, surprising the group. This was her opportunity to finally tell the others about her past. Feeling vulnerable she continued nonetheless. "They were in Peru searching for Alazar's pendant." She began slowly.

"Alazar's pendant?" Andrew Hartford repeated incredulously. "I thought that necklace was only a myth." He stated wondrously, shaking his head curiously.

"Am I the only one who has no idea what they're talking about?" Dax asked confused.

"Alazar's pendant was a necklace of one of the most powerful emperors of Peru, it was considered to have protective powers and thousands of people died trying to find it." Rose explained to the blue ranger.

"Not to mention worth millions of dollars." Will added enviously.

"Well did they find it?" Dax asked, completely enthralled by the story. "No." Mack replied ruefully, recalling the stories he had read in all the adventure magazines his dad had collected over the years. The Alazar pendant was a huge subject still drew attention today.

"If they did, "Rose continued, "It must have been destroyed in the plane crash." She observed realistically.

"How did you know about them Ronny?" Will asked his best friend suddenly.

This was the time to say what she had kept hidden from them, to tell them the truth. After an extremely long pause she uttered, "They were my parents." She couldn't have shocked them more, especially Andrew Hartford.

"I knew them." He stuttered in disbelief. "And I never knew that they had a child." He choked on his astonishment as he stared at Ronny in shock.

"I never put it together either, sir." Spencer added his amazement to the startling revelation.

"Obviously you weren't' with them." Mack declared uneasily about what that meant.

"No, they left me with my uncle and my three cousins when I was five years old." She explained angrily, "and they never came back."

"They were good people Ronny." Mr. Hartford tried to explain. "I'm sure there must have been a reason they decided to leave you with your uncle." She was envious of the relationship Mack shared with his father. Though Mr. Hartford was an adventurer like her parents, he hadn't given Mack up.

"You didn't leave Mack behind." Ronny pointed out softly. Mr. Hartford sighed; there was nothing he could say to that.

What he didn't know, what they all didn't know was that those 'good' people had given her up when she was five years old. That she had memories of them, memories of them leaving her for their adventures, of the day they left her behind for good at her uncle's house. They didn't know what their leaving had done to her. Or to her uncle for that matter, they had been too selfish to care. Her uncle was raising his three sons on his own since his wife had died months before in a car accident and had volunteered to take Ronny in. She would always be grateful that he had but he could never take the place in her life that her parents should have had.

"They tried for a few years, but eventually the lure of adventure was more important than raising a five year old child." She argued resentfully.

"Ronny, I'm sure they loved you more than their adventures." Dax tried to argue, had to argue. If she was right then she had every right to be heartbroken and betrayed.

"Five year olds don't understand why Mommy and Daddy aren't coming back." She shouted bitterly. "All I know is that they left me at my uncle's and never came back. I don't care what their reasons were, they left me." Ronny sobbed as her throat felt raw at the overuse. The heart monitor still attached to her beeped incessantly, warning them that she was not out of danger yet.

"Every day for five years I prayed that they would change their minds and come back for me. Then one day in fourth grade my uncle came and took me out of school. He told me they had been killed in a plane crash." The heart breaking memories crashed over her as the emotions broke through her usually tough exterior.

"Please just go." She pleaded with them as tears fell down her cheeks. She turned her back to her friends.

"She needs her rest." Spencer agreed seriously, noting that the conversations were upsetting the yellow ranger as he ushered them out of the room. Ignoring her protests, he gave her another sedative to help her get through the night. Her body desperately needed the rest and he knew the memories that had been stirred up would only prevent her from getting the rest she needed.

_Life's like a novel with the end ripped out__The edge of a canyon with only one way down__Take what your given before it's gone__And start __holdin__' on, keep __holdin__' on_'No wonder Ronny didn't talk about her parents.' Mack concluded after hearing her story. It must be hard for her to know that his dad had not made the same choice as her parents did even though they had the same careers. 'How can I or anyone convince her that it wasn't her fault?' he thought bitterly.

_'Cause when push comes to shove__You taste what your made of__You might bend 'til you break__'Cause it's all you can take__On your knees you look up__Decide you've had enough__You get mad, you get strong__Wipe your hands, shake it off__Then you stand, then you stand_

She had been cleared to resume active duty, her powers were restored and she was anxious to be part of the team again. With the emotions of the last few weeks, she needed an outlet for her pent up energy. Despite Spencer and Mr. Hartford's diagnosis that her body would be forever weakened by her ordeal, she still needed exercise to build up her strength.

"So Ronny, when's your next race?" Mack asked oblivious to the fact that her health had been seriously compromised by the energy drain. None of her friends were aware of the reality of her situation either, mostly because Ronny had made Mr. Hartford and Spencer promise not to tell them. She didn't want them worrying about her every time they went into battle.

"I won't' be racing anymore." " Ronny admitted as she announced her resignation from racing.

"Even with the power of the yellow diamond, my powers will never be full strength again." She continued sadly. "It's for the best, really." She had come to peace with her decision. Yes, she would miss the competition but it wasn't worth the risk. "It's not worth risking my health over." She added wisely. It hadn't been an easy one to make but maybe it was time for her to find something she wanted to do for herself.

"I'm sorry Ronny." Empathized Dax. The blue ranger was just as passionate about his career as Ronny had been about hers. He understood the painful choice she had made to give it up.

"It's not fair." Will complained to the others after Ronny had left. "Wasn't it enough she had to the energy drain and now this?" he ranted upset.

"If Ronny can deal with it, so can we." Mack chided his teammates.

"Yeah." Rose agreed quickly with their leader. "We'll just have to help her find other things she can do."

"Speaking of Ronny, does anyone know where she went?" Tyzonn asked bewildered at the yellow ranger's disappearance.

Mack had a pretty good idea of where she went, but didn't let on to the others. Knowing Ronny, she needed to get away after being stuck inside for the last few weeks. Not that he could blame her; she must have felt suffocated from the memories that had come to light in the last few weeks and the trial of getting her strength back.

She headed out the watch the race. She needed to get out of the mansion and out of the watchful eyes of her friends. She loved them dearly for their concern, but despite her painful revelations she was not as fragile as they might think. Mack and Will hovered constantly, and if she weren't more self-sufficient she would probably be more tempted to let them do more things for her. Rose was always asking if she needed anything, and Tyzonn would just bring her things he thought she needed.

She relaxed as the familiar sounds of tire meeting asphalt filled the air, as the sunshine warmed her face, and the solitude relieved her frayed nerves.

"Do you miss it?" A voice questioned as the red ranger joined Ronny in the stands of the Racing Championship.

"Yes and no." Ronny stated ambivically. Mack waited for her to explain her answer. "Yes, because I loved the adrenaline of racing and the challenge of it, but no because I never did it for me."

"I didn't want to be a burden to my uncle so I just did whatever he and the boys did. It didn't bother me and I grew to like racing very much. But it's not who I am, it's just what I did." She acknowledged rationally.

"How come you never told us before?" Mack inquired kindly. Ronny sighed at the tone of his voice. "I was afraid Mack; it's not the type of thing you just tell people. In fact, you guys are the only ones I've ever told." She admitted shyly. "I'm glad you did." He said softly. "We're your friends; we'll always be here for you."

"I know." She accepted his words truthfully. She turned her attention back to the race at hand, watching as the favorite to win the championship this year made his move to the front of the pack with 20 laps to go. He watched the look on her face as she became engaged in the race, how she would bite her lip thoughtfully as the cars weaved in and out of each other without colliding and how her eyes would light up when the leaders fought for the top spot as the amount of laps decreased as the end of the race neared. Mack thought her brave for being able to walk away from a sport she loved even if it was for her own good.

"How did you know where to find me?" Ronny questioned him suddenly, slightly taken aback when she noticed how intently he had been looking at her.

"You're not as complicated as you seem." He teased her, laughing when she leaned into him with her elbow trying to knock him off balance. "I thought you might be saying goodbye." He revealed after he retaliated with a playful squeeze around her neck. She was surprised at his insight, she hadn't intended it to be that way, she was just naturally drawn to the race track, having watched her cousins' race for years before she got her turn.

He didn't expect an answer from her as he turned back to the race, giving her the opportunity to scrutinize him. She appreciated his ability to be quiet and not pester her with questions or demanding answers. Accepted. That's what she felt when she was with Mack; she didn't have to try to be something else, just her. Whatever she was, she thought with a smile. Today would be the start of a new Ronny, she decided peacefully.

"What are you going to do with all your free time now?" Rose wondered curiously, noticing how antsy Ronny was with nothing to do. Especially after all the time she spent in bed, it was no wonder she was extra fidgety as she paced around the room. No one had the heart to tell her to stop, since they were all so relieved to see her out of bed and acting more like herself.

The yellow ranger was still mourning the absence of race car driving in her life. She knew it had been the right decision to make, but it left a void in her life that needed to be filled.

"You should find a new hobby." Mack suggested from where he was lounging on the couch.

"You could take up scrapbooking." Dax teased. "Or cooking." Will suggested with a laugh. Bull riding, chemistry, gardening, karate, kayaking, hiking, miming, chess, and puppetry had also all been suggested by her friends. She appreciated their efforts and even laughed at their ridiculous suggestions.

"What about running Ronny?" Mack recommended thoughtfully as the pair sat on the patio later that afternoon. "You are by far the fastest runner on the team." He complimented her truthfully. She looked up in surprise at his comment, and smiled as she pondered his idea.

She had decided to run competitively as an outlet for her athletic nature. It had been Mack's idea for her to get a hobby to at least fill the time she had previously spent race car driving. She found it unnerving how well Mack understood her, her need for competition, her need to achieve, her need to belong. He had been there for her every step of the way and she really appreciated his friendship. She wasn't surprised when he was there waiting for her at the end of her training run.

"Good time today Ronny." He congratulated her as he stopped the stop watch.

"Thanks Mack." The yellow ranger offered quietly, rising up to offer a soft kiss on his cheek. "Anytime." He returned sincerely as he wrapped her in his arms for a hug.

_Every time you get up and get back in the race__One__ more small piece of you starts to fall into place – yeah_


End file.
